Just as Shen Xiang was about to set off, a simple-dressed elderly woman suddenly appeared.
"Xiao Dao, your family has some matters that require you to return!" This elderly woman was Yun Xiaodao's master, a powerful martial artist at the True Martial Realm!
Yun Xiaodao looked reluctant. If not for being intimidated by the woman's strength, he would never have gone back. However, gritting his teeth, he followed her unwillingly.
"Brother Shen, I'll leave this task to you. Next time, I'll return the favor!" Yun Xiaodao said as he was leaving.
"Brother Shen, if you find this fun, then go ahead. I won't be joining the fun, so I leave it to you…" Zhu Rong said before disappearing in an instant. Shen Xiang hadn't expected that the chubby man could move so fast.
Shen Xiang let out a cold snort, folded the map, and left the Taiwu Academy! The tasks assigned by the academy were generally undertaken by a group from one of its martial academies, and it didn't matter how many went, as long as the task was completed.
The Desolate Dragon Mountain Range was located near the border of Taiwu State, closer to Beast Martial State. Beast Martial State was controlled by the Beast Martial Sect, where the majority of disciples raised demonic beasts as pets, and all their martial arts were related to beasts.
The road Shen Xiang had to take was long, but to speed things up, he flew using his Vermillion Bird Fire Wings at night, allowing him to swiftly traverse forests and mountains.
Ten days passed, and after a long journey, Shen Xiang finally arrived at a city named Dragon Watch City, which was the closest city to the Desolate Dragon Mountain. The place was crowded with people. After making inquiries, Shen Xiang learned why so many people believed in the legend of the Heavenly Dragon Treasure.
A month ago, many people in Dragon Watch City had witnessed a strange light beam from the direction of the Desolate Dragon Mountain Range, followed by a dragon's roar echoing across the sky. This phenomenon was very similar to the signs of a mystical realm opening.
After arriving, Shen Xiang also learned news related to the Taiwu Academy—a martial sect named the Unmatched Sect had merged with the Taiwu Academy. All of its disciples were now part of Taiwu Academy.
The Unmatched Sect was a top-tier sect, second only to the eight super righteous sects in the Chenwu Continent, and considered one of the strongest rising powers. It was located along the coast of Taiwu State, but one night, it was swallowed by seawater, causing heavy losses. To allow its disciples to continue developing, the sect leader of the Unmatched Sect sought the approval of most disciples, eventually merging with the Taiwu Academy.
The leader of the Unmatched Sect had long-standing ties with the Taiwu Academy. His martial arts originated from the academy, and they had always received support from the academy. Thus, the merger was not considered a bad thing—in fact, it was a cause for celebration.
"Damn it! I came to this place for some stupid task, while the Taiwu Academy is throwing a big banquet to welcome the Unmatched Sect!" Shen Xiang cursed under his breath.
For most disciples of the Taiwu Academy, this was good news, as the Unmatched Sect had many disciples, including a large number of female disciples. Taiwu Academy even changed its rules, allowing the enrollment of female disciples to accommodate the integration of the Unmatched Sect.
Shen Xiang could imagine that the Inner Martial Academy would no longer be a dull and desolate place. If it weren't for Zhu Rong joining him, there would have only been two people in the academy.
Shen Xiang stayed in Dragon Watch City for a few days, gathering and recording the information he found. All of this was part of his investigation.
"Sisters, should I go check out whether the Heavenly Dragon Treasure exists?" Shen Xiang asked. He had learned that several True Martial Realm experts from other sects had arrived. As someone at the ninth level of the Mortal Martial Realm, he figured he wouldn't even get close to the treasure.
"Go ahead! Even if you don't get anything, it's good to broaden your horizons," Bai Youyou replied.
Su Meiyao agreed, "If it really is a mystical realm, you might still be able to find something. Just be cautious and run if anything feels off."
Shen Xiang nodded. Having completed his task, he was merely curious about the situation.
After leaving Dragon Watch City, Shen Xiang ventured into a dense forest instead of taking the main roads like others. He knew the Desolate Dragon Mountain Range contained valuable herbs, so he decided to see if he could find any rare spiritual herbs.
As he ventured deeper into the forest, Shen Xiang soon noticed a trail of beast footprints. Judging by the size of the prints, the beast was quite large. His curiosity piqued, as he hadn't hunted any beasts in the wild before, and some beasts were adept at finding spiritual herbs. Following the trail could potentially lead to valuable discoveries.
Shen Xiang followed the tracks for over three hours. The sky had darkened somewhat, but he could still make out his surroundings in the forest.
In the distance, he spotted a black lion the size of a human!
From his reading in the Inner Academy's Beast Codex, Shen Xiang recognized this black lion as an extremely vicious tenth-grade demonic beast with the potential to evolve into a spirit beast—its name was the Dark Hunting Lion!
"Who's there?" A cold and clear shout rang out. Shen Xiang saw a young woman in green leap down from a tree onto the back of the Dark Hunting Lion. Her eyes, full of arrogance and malice, scanned the area.
Shen Xiang immediately darted behind a tree, his heart racing in shock. Moments ago, he had seen the Dark Hunting Lion devouring a human!
"They're from the Beast Martial Sect! I can't believe they're feeding demonic beasts with human corpses!" Shen Xiang thought angrily. From a distance, he could see that the clothing of the victims was that of ordinary civilians.
It was too easy for a martial sect's disciples to capture civilians, and Shen Xiang had just seen about ten corpses!
His fists clenched tightly. As a disciple of the Taiwu Academy, Shen Xiang's duty was to protect Taiwu State. Seeing the civilians of Taiwu State being fed to beasts by the Beast Martial Sect filled him with rage.
If this incident were to spread, it would undoubtedly provoke outrage throughout Taiwu State!
Stepping out from his hiding place, Shen Xiang walked toward the Dark Hunting Lion with a cold expression. His eyes locked on the young woman on the lion's back, who was beautiful but now seemed utterly vile to him.
"Who are you? Get lost, or you'll end up like these lowly commoners, becoming food for my 'Little Black'!" The woman shouted, drawing a longsword as she spoke.
"Beast! Shut your mouth!"
Seeing the Dark Hunting Lion chewing on human flesh, Shen Xiang's fury boiled over. With an explosive burst of True Qi from his legs, Shen Xiang leaped forward, instantly arriving in front of the Dark Hunting Lion. His hand shot out like lightning, his finger radiating invisible, colorless Heaven and Earth True Qi, and he stabbed it directly into the lion's head!
This was the Heavenly Firmament Finger, enhanced by Heaven and Earth True Qi, and with a single strike, Shen Xiang pierced through the lion's tough skull. Blood gushed out of the small hole like a fountain.